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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22949722">You keep messing with my brain</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurojiri/pseuds/kurojiri'>kurojiri</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assumed Relationship, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First War with Voldemort, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Horcruxes, M/M, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Minor Angst, Pre-Relationship, Protective Siblings, Slytherin Locket</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:20:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,660</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22949722</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurojiri/pseuds/kurojiri</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The awful truth was that when he had noticed Regulus Black he couldn’t exactly look away anymore.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Regulus Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Remus Lupin Fest 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>You keep messing with my brain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I just want to say, I had a lot of ideas with this prompt and while I wish I could have went further, I still do enjoy this version. I was going to make a bit more angsty, but then my brain wanted a bit of humor and a happy open ending that could introduce a series in the future. Either way, I want to thank the mods for hosting and for the person who made the prompt. It was a fun ride! And I can't wait for the next round!</p><p>Prompt 184:<br/>Triggers:<br/>Rating: G/T/M/E<br/>Prompt: Desperate and alone, Regulus comes to Remus for help with the horcrux.<br/>Likes: Intricate magic, first war drama, intrigue and lies.<br/>Dislikes: Consent issues when it comes to sex. The Marauders portrayed as bullies towards the Slytherins.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had become harder to look at Sirius’s younger brother now, what with how intense it became when he met his cold gaze. </p><p>His black inky hair had a different kind of shine to it now. Where it folded into lazy curls from the top and had produced a bounce towards the ends from his neck. He had cut it shorter than Sirius’ but it hadn't changed the way Remus seemed unable to look away when they crossed paths. No matter the stories he heard from Sirius he couldn't deny that Regulus Black had been the favored brother when it came to the higher wizarding society that the Blacks were plastered in since birth. From his placement as the new heir, to the status of his blood and grades he received in classes. It was like seeing day and night whenever the Black brothers were in within the same corridor. </p><p>Somewhat like a hurricane when one brother opened their mouth first, or when an outside force drove them further from each other. </p><p>Remus knew he shouldn’t have been lured into witnessing that kind of disaster; Merlin knew he had his own personal brand of worries to line up before setting off to looking outside his peripheral vision. (He would blame it on the fact that when he chose to be in Gryffindor and not another house that he had diminished a portion of his caution to be quite driven in his future foolish endeavors.)</p><p>As now. </p><p>It had made Remus a little bit (if not a lot) curious when he noticed the younger Black was living in pure hell, seeing that he had a way of looking well put together as he underwent a train wreck as the war had been becoming louder. Like a cracked mirror that had fashioned itself to highlight a new element to itself to awe anyone that caught its attention to it. Fascinating how some broken souls sometimes knew how to build themselves new barriers quickly, while others took longer to find all their pieces before they could even come up with a concept to hold themselves completely sane.</p><p>It also didn't surprise him that out of the two brothers, it had been the younger one who came with prominently featured issues that would have him wish he went to a different school or at different house like the sensible Ravenclaw or loyal Hufflepuff. As much as he loved his friends in Gryffindor Remus had lacked some hours for himself. His moon inclination or not, he was not a child anymore.</p><p>And that challenged him when he kept thinking that there were still too young to be called adults, but that none of them were children either when they had to reflect on their actions. Mainly, himself when he felt his badge glint under the sun glares when he sometimes drove his feet at the dirt trail near the lake. He could have survived longer with what little sanity he held if he didn’t follow in concern. </p><p>The younger Black had sneered at him at first, by association of Sirius no doubt; but that had not been what paralyzed him.</p><p>It had been far worse when the sneer that came within radar to his vision of line it had only been far weaker than years prior. How he knew, Remus couldn’t give an honest reply. Not when he felt like prey. Like somehow he knew that his arrival felt like an easier solution within their midst when he saw a wandless: <em>Muffliato </em>being cast around them. His own body shifted within seconds, his senses feeling how stiff the pocket of air they shared was sterilized and how clearer he could feel the heat the younger Black’s body embosomed as his heart raced. It was...something was going on.</p><p>He just knew it when his grey (and in a much darker shade than his brother’s) eyes had watched in half amusement and half in approval when Remus had one hand near his wand. That was why he had trouble with most Slytherins. They often had a way of making his mind race. All in different ratios. With this one, still standing in his spot had been becoming harder to place.</p><p>His own head had said to be careful, while his gut had a way of wondering if Sirius and James paranoia were not as misplaced as before. He had often sided with Lily when they had been younger, and even now with how restless things were away from Hogwarts he wanted to believe that not everything was white and black. It took most of their years, but he had seen how much Sirius missed his brother, how James was starting to regret some of his past pranks. </p><p>But when he heard Snape and his jeers at James (and vice versa) or when he caught Regulus Black looking down at Sirius he had to stop himself from fleeing the sight. </p><p>“Lupin.”</p><p>He tore his thoughts away from his mind. He couldn’t think too deeply now as he could sense how serious the topic would be as the younger Black had crossed his arms tight against his chest. The green and silver tie slipping off his vest and spilling out innocently. Practically indecent in most circles that this Black was in as he didn’t bother to fix it. Instead, he had urged Remus to listen to him. With his voice becoming silk and water. Deeply cold and frozen with an inescapable fear that Remus didn’t feel envious for not being possessed with. </p><p>“I heard you are well versed in the Dark Arts.”</p><p>The kindest part of it was that it sounded almost like a compliment. As one could be in a borderline where Remus could handle it when he had nodded back as he was starting to feel impatient as he drew out his pleasantries as any silver tongue Slytherin would. In his lips, where Remus could see a strain between the corners were starting to drag he knew he would not like that he was starting to see the boy in front of him seizing. A wounded snake would hide smartly while trying not to hinder their healing process. They would most certainly not go and seek out a lion for help either. </p><p>“I’d like to make a proposition with you.” He had made a precise decision to walk closer, by lifting his hands in a gesture that he would not hex him. It didn’t stop Remus from narrowing his eyes immediately. </p><p>“And why would you think that I would help you?”</p><p>Without the wind his hair didn’t bounce as much when he lifted his chin up. And up close Remus could see how pale he was. His cheeks weren’t as rosy when he first came. Nor did his eyes shine the same way that Sirius learnt while he found his place in his Hogwarts House. (Remus had forced himself to not look at his neck when Black loosened his tie further and unbuttoned the first three from his shirt. He managed to barely twitch outwardly.)</p><p>The bruises underneath his eyes made the grey harden in effect, almost giving Black an appearance of a Vampire, not that he would say so as he didn’t want to insult him. But he had been forced to see his neck and bits of collarbone in the open. An ugly locket with an emblem of a snake was produced. </p><p>“I’m pretty sure you’ll be very interested in this when you know where and how I got this.”</p><p>And he wasn’t wrong.</p><p>As Remus held the locket he was hyper aware that he was standing closer to Black than usual. That didn’t help him ease his mind as he grunted at the pain this would cause for the foreseeable future. Trying to juggle James, Sirius and Peter had already been a consuming job. But now. </p><p>Bloody hell, it would be a nightmare as Black was now penciled in his schedule too. He could only hope that Sirius would not jump to conclusions. (He could still remember how much fuss he put when he once thought his little brother fancied someone in a previous year.)</p><p>“How will we explain our meetings then? I mean we don’t really have many reasons to be seen talking to each other.” </p><p>“Oh I’m sure we can think of something.”</p><p>Then too soon. </p><p>“Remus what are you doing with my <em>little </em>brother?!”</p><p>His head snapped to attention. He yelped first before stepping away from Black. It did not help that they could see the state Black was with his uniform. Desperately he tried to defend himself. “Sirius! It’s not—!”</p><p>Black, the younger one, gave a rather devious smile in their direction as he grabbed Remus’s tie as he jerked him even closer. He looked at James, Peter and Lily as they held Sirius back. “What? Is he not allowed to snog his boyfriend by the lake?”</p><p>Remus couldn't stop his blush from blooming all the way to his tips of ears as he choked on his saliva. He hated how even when Black still had one hand gripped to his tie that he had the audacity and skill to kiss him fiercely as if were normal between them, that when he edged himself to whisper to Remus' ear it looked like too natural almost too gentle and rare for a Slytherin to be sentimental in public.</p><p>“Relax your shoulders, Lupin. Now you won’t have to sneak around to see me.”</p><p>Yes, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t free from Sirius’ ire. Especially when he hated to admit that when Black pulled away from him that Remus couldn't stop from staring at his goddamn smug face. It was too pretty to ignore. Even when he was so close to Sirius’ outrage to protect his little brother’s virtue that soon caused him to flinch at his next words.</p><p>“His WHAT! Lupin come here, I wanna have some words with you.”</p>
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